Chinese police officer acts as couple’s dead son for a decade to comfort sick mother

A police officer in eastern China acts as a couple’s deceased son for 11 years, offering comfort to his paralyzed mother and forming a bond deep beyond blood.

In 2003, Xia Zhanhai and his wife Liang Qiaoying, who live in northern China’s Shanxi province, lost their son in a gas leak accident.

The tragedy also left the mother paralyzed and with cognitive problems, with the mental capacity of a five-year-old child.

Her son’s death weighed heavily on Liang, so Xia calmed her down with a lie, saying that her son was working in a distant city.

At one point, Xia saw Jiang Jingwei, a Shanghai police officer, on a TV program and noticed his striking resemblance to his late son.